to mars. >> thanks for joining us. i'm cheryl jennings. tonight sudden impact. a torrent of rain causing roads to collapse. a backyard turns into a sinkhole and all the rescues as millions reel from the final punch of an epic storm. campus crisis. 55 of the nation's top colleges and universities under investigation tonight for what they do of students reporting sexual assault. and fear of flying. >> oh, my god! >> see the panic attack on the plane and the man they call the plane whisperer tell you how to face the fear. is the answer as simple as a straw? >> good evening on this thursday

night. you're about to see what a record-breaking rain does as so many people lived inside a two day cloud burst. the earth groaning from the water. watch and listen as this road collapses under the weight. >> whoa! >> oh, my god! >> trees and earth and roads going down. so let's get to gio benitez tonight who starts us off again on the big storm and the battering aftermath. >> reporter: these streets are torn up. chunks of asphalt are on people's lawns. much of the country is washed out. tonight this massive storm delivers a final blow on the northeast. mudslides on long island and heavy rain collapses walls. and covering these commuter train tracks. >> when absorbed that much water that short period of time, it

can increase the likelihood of a collapse. >> reporter: in baltimore officials are testing the ground around this sinkhole to see if it's safe to start digging out the ten cars it swallowed. >> it was like somebody came by and ripped off the side of the road. >> reporter: as the record- breaking water recedes in pensacola. homeowners begin cleaning up. >> oh, my gosh, look at this. >> reporter: whole backyards swallowed up into the earth. once a tennis court, now a sinkhole. inside muddy ruins. a tenant avoided drowning by climbing on top of the refrigerator with a life vest. >> so she was on the refrigerator because the water was rising too high? >> yeah. and she wasn't certain if she went out the door as to what she would run into. >> reporter: at the pensacola jail overnight it caused a gas explosion.

at least two inmates dead. nearly 150 injured. including officers. over three days this storm brought 65 tornados from nebraska to north carolina. including on ef-4 in arkansas. one of the deadliest in decades. two feet of flood waters in florida. extreme flooding in ten states. all tolled, 865 reports of severe weather. at least 39 dead and more than $1 billion in damage. and fixing this mess won't be easy. we're told it could take weeks, even months. >> gio benitez reporting. thank you very much. we move on to the big headline about sexual assault on college campuses. we learned today that a staggering 55 universities are facing a federal investigation because of the way they respond to their students in a crisis of sexual assault. abc's paula faris has the story. >> reporter: alcohol, loud music

and late nights. sexual assaults on campus doesn't always happen like that. it can happen anywhere at any time and the colleges may not be doing enough. today the warning shot from the u.s. department of education fired at those 55 colleges and universities that received federal funds being investigated for possibly mishandling sexual violence and harassment complaints from students. among those on the list, harvard, michigan, ohio state, southern methodist and uc berkley. >> reporter: students right now preparing to make one of the most important decisions, which college or university to attend. 25-year-old harmony says she was a victim of sexual assault on campus her freshman year. she wasn't at a party and no alcohol was involved. >> it was after classes that a friend of mine sexually assaulted me in his dorm room. i did fight him and said no multiple times. >> we have to do everything in

our power to protect them. these are our children. these are our wives, our daughters, our sisters. these people are you. >> i am someone's friend. i am someone's daughter. but also i'm a survivor of sexual assault. >> reporter: we reached out to several schools on the list. they said they take any allegation of sexual assault extremely seriously and working to combat it. but tonight the push is on to make every campus for every student safer. paula faris, abc news, new york. and heading overseas to ukraine and the new dominos falling as russian sympathizers gain more ground. abc's martha raddatz is in the region with american troops. >> reporter: tonight, pro-russian mobs taking control. more government buildings. as putin demands ukraine to pull back its troops.

one spot after another across eastern ukraine falling. this as ukraine's leader saying his forces are helpless, losing parts of the country. fear spreading across the region. it's why hundreds of american troops have arrived here for joint training in latvia where those fears of a russian invasion are very real. >> you've seen what has occurred in ukraine, crimea, and so to them it's a real threat. >> reporter: with 50 pounds of gear, injury training, and live fire, the soldiers navigate a mile long course as rapidly as possible. this is called a stress shoot. not only do they have to shoot. they have to run to get their heart rate up. a grueling exercise for americans and latvians and one that forges a bond between the allies. >> okay? yeah.

>> does having the u.s. troops here send a message to vladimir putin? >> i believe so. >> what's that message. >> better not to come to step in if nato countries. >> reporter: a forceful message. the question now, is putin listening? martha raddatz. abc news, latvia. we turn to the news about the tragedy in benghazi. the attack on the u.s. consulate that killed four americans including a u.s. ambassador. todayed retired general testified that the u.s. military should have tried to do more to fend off that attack. >> what would you say to the mother of one of the people killed? >> i would say sorry for your loss. and your sacrifice. we should have done more. >> the white house pointed out that the top military officials

have repeatedly said there were no u.s. military forces close enough to fight back. there is news about the missing malaysian passenger plane now 55 days since it disappeared. an investigation released today shows confusion, and a four-hour delay from the start. abc's david kerley with the new information tonight. >> reporter: the malaysian report reveals it took four hours to launch a rescue. a story of confusion by air traffic controllers and bad information from the airline and another country having to tell malaysia its plane is missing. >> the back and forth, the miscommunication and misunderstanding, there's no excuse for. >> reporter: malaysia released the communication between the jetliner and the ground. >> malaysian three seven zero. >> flight level three five zero. >> reporter: the mystery begins after malaysian controllers hand off the flight to vietnam in what would be the 777's last

communication. malaysian 370. >> come back. 120. decimal 9. >> reporter: moments later the jetliner's location is shut off and turns around. 17 minutes later vietnam tells malaysia it can't contact the jetliner. at this point 370 was about to cross back over the peninsula. malaysian air controllers are unaware, confused and don't contact the malaysian military. by the time the rescue is called, the jetliner is far south over the indian ocean a little over two hours believed to where it's gone into the ocean. tonight still no idea where it is with the search area being expanded from 124 square miles to more than 21,000 square miles. david kerley, abc news, washington. now, the ongoing turmoil swirling around the los angeles clippers. the team back on the court

tonight. but there's a new jump ball off the court. could the owner accused of racism be forced to sell the franchise soon and could one of the buyers be his wife? abc's ryan smith with the new twist tonight. >> reporter: shelly sterling hasn't missed a clippers game since this scandal broke, and with a galaxy of stars waiting to take over the team, she could be the real one to watch. but if she wants to become the new clippers owner, she may have to overcome racially challenged controversies in her own past involving buildings she and her husband owned. >> i lived here for 20 years. >> reporter: he was one of their tenants. >> he and shelly developed a system of getting rid of people they didn't like. >> reporter: in 2003, williams videotaped shelly sterling posing as a government official allegedly to gather information on tenants she wanted to evict. >> are you mrs. shelly from the health department? >> yes, sir. >> okay. >> reporter: williams was part of a housing discrimination lawsuit against the sterlings. they settled for an undisclosed sum. then, in another suit, a former sterling property manager said shelly sterling remarked

"hispanic tenants were filthy." shelly sterling has denied making those inflammatory statements saying, "we do not discriminate against any person, and we support diversity in our tenants and employees." that suit, too, was settled. >> are you a racist, mr. sterling? >> reporter: the sterlings were last seen together leaving a steakhouse on sunday, shelly defending her husband against charges he's a racist. >> it's not true! >> no, of course, not. >> reporter: but she later put out a statement denouncing "the racist comments made by my estranged husband. my children and i do not share these despicable views." and today, clippers coach doc rivers wouldn't respond to questions about shelly sterling taking over the team. >> who would you like to be the new owner? >> i'm not thinking about any of that stuff. i'm not thinking about any of that stuff. >> reporter: he did say he expects her in the stands tonight. ryan smith, abc news, los angeles.

tonight we have new insight into a question we are all asking, a top u.s. speed skating official is shedding light on the sochi olympics by team usa. the speed skaters. is it possible their skates, their uniforms were partly to blame for not bringing home the gold? abc's matt gutman with the new developments tonight. >> reporter: tonight a top skating official turns whispers that these high-tech suits may have slowed american speed skaters at the winter games into a call for change. after weeks of consultations, the u.s. speed skating team and other experts fingered under armour so-called mock 39 skin as one of several culprits that kept the u.s. off the medal podium the first time in 30 years. but when johnny davis flopped, the focus was on the suits. new is the vent in the back with these holes to keep the athletes cool. watch davis as he skates. air is flowing over his body.

the suit's job is to minimize how much that slows him down. the concern was that air seeped into those vents possibly causing a tiny balloon in the suit and creating an extra drag on the skater. in a milwaukee journal article u.s. speed skating officials blamed too much travel, a new skate sharpening system and a choice of training center saying they applied all they learned to the games in south korea. matt gutman. abc news, miami. up next here tonight, fear of flying. >> oh, my god! >> a woman having a kind of panic attack on the plane and the man they call the plane whisperer shows how you face down fear. it's progressive pain. first you have that, that feeling of numbness. then you get the hot pins. it got to the point where i felt like, almost like lightning bolts, hot strikes into my feet.

the pain was, it was... i just couldn't handle it, so my doctor prescribed lyrica. the pain has been reduced and i feel better than i did before. [ male announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda-approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. [ karen ] having less pain, that means everything to me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. to hear more of karen's story, visit lyrica.com.

and next tonight new ways to face your fears. 25% of americans are afraid to fly. tonight the pilot with secrets to calm you down.

abc tells us why they call him the plane whisperer. >> reporter: this is the face of the fear of flying. >> oh, my god! oh, my god! >> reporter: for millions of americans the mere thought of being trapped on a plane is pure white knuckle, chest thumping, i can barely breath, fear. >> i just don't want this to happen anymore. >> reporter: and that's where captain nielson steps in a retired air force pilot, he teaches a week long course at phoenix arizona's international airport. students call him the plane whisperer. it's estimated 25% of fliers have some fear. for this group it's moderate to severe and that despite knowing the numbers, your chances of dying in a plane crash is 1 in 60 million. >> does it look like you're having a moment? >> yeah. >> i was taking care of my panic

attack. >> reporter: jessica is traveling with her whole family. oh, my god! oh, my god! i don't want to fly. >> reporter: captain ron offers reassurance and tips. >> the thing you should be focusing on is you. >> reporter: bring a distraction, a book, music. avoid alcohol and drugs unless you have a prescription. grab a straw. get on the airplane and restrict your breathing through the straw. if you can control your breathing for the first two minutes of flight, you have got 90% of the battle licked. >> reporter: for most of the students the class paid off. a lifetime of anxiety behind them. byron pitts. abc news, phoenix. >> you can see the full story

tonight on "nightline." when we come back, homecoming. a sergeant nervously awaits for an old war buddy. will his pal remember him after so many years? will she? don't miss it in our "instant index" coming up. the moment is right. helps you be re cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial. hey kevin...still eating chalk for hearburn? yea.

try alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heart burn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. alka-seltzer fruit chews. enjoy the relief! that's why i got a new windows 2 in 1. it has exactly what i need for half of what i thought i'd pay. and i don't need to be online for it to work. it runs office, so i can do schedules and budgets and even menu changes. but it's fun, too -- with touch, and tons of great apps for stuff like music, 'cause a good playlist is good for business. i need the boss's signature for this. i'm the boss. ♪ honestly ♪ i wanna see you be brave feel like a knot. how can i ease this pain? (man) when i can't go, it's like bricks piling up. i wish i could find some relief. (announcer) ask your doctor about linzess-- a once-daily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation

or chronic idiopathic constipation. linzess is thought to help calm pain-sensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. it helps you proactively manage your symptoms. do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. it may harm them. don't take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain especially with bloody or black stools the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. if it's severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include gas, stomach-area pain and swelling. bottom line, ask your doctor about linzess today. smoke? nah, i'm good. [ male announcer ] celebrate every win with nicoderm cq, the unique patch with time release smartcontrol technology that helps prevent the urge to smoke all day long. help prevent your cravings with nicoderm cq. that helps prevent the urge to smoke all day long. so i tried depend and it made the difference between hearing about my daughter's gym meet,

and being there. yeah! nailed it! unlike the bargain brand, depend gives you new fit-flex®, our best protection. it's a smooth and comfortable fit with more lycra strands. hi sweetie! get your free sample at depend.com. our "instant index" tonight begins with a tantalizing fashion frontier. this is what we'll be wearing when we colonize mars. today nasa reveals a mars space suit. the patches glow blue to help astronauts identify friend or foe on mars. a lot snappier than when humans first touched down on the moon. remember the original dillon breakthrough, rolling stone, how would it feel to be on your own? well tonight we have a draft of that song. what might have been scribbled in pencil. lyrics that did not make the cut

like how does it feel, it feels real. how does it feel, shut up and deal. how does it feel, raw deal. i think he chose the right one. sheet music goes up for auction in june. how do you measure a friendship from danger in iraq? a man is standing anxiously at the airport. two years ago he was retired and had to leave his bomb-sniffing dog behind but he arranged to adopt her and yesterday after all those years on a nine-hour flight would she remember her old friend? did she? ♪ reunited >> she jumped and got her tummy rubbed. we couldn't help but think of the old song "reunited" at last.

up next, did you see the young contestant with the winning answer? tonight the instant star has america cheering his name. [ female announcer ] grow, it's what we do. but when we put something in the ground, feed it, and care for it, don't we grow something more? we grow big celebrations, and personal victories. we grow new beginnings, and better endings. grand gestures, and perfect quiet. we grow escape, bragging rights, happier happy hours. so let's gro something greater with miracle-gro. what will you grow? share your story at miraclegro.com. one of our favorite things to do is going to the dog park together. sometimes my copd makes it hard to breathe. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes.

symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. come on, boy! [ female announcer ] symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. [ man ] now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today, i'm hanging out with my best friend. talk to your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or go online to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. [ mmarge: you know, there'san't affa more enjoyableion, way to get your fiber. try phillips fiber good gummies. they're delicious, and an excellent source of fiber to help support regularity. wife: mmmm husband: these are good! marge: the tasty side of fiber. from phillips.

while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, this can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain, and improve daily physical function so moving is easier. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain. and it's not a narcotic you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. thischance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, like celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions, or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. don't take celebrex if you have bleeding in the stomach or intestine,

or had an asthma attack, hives, other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. and finally tonight proof of what enthusiasm and inspiration can do. across america today an explosion of support for a young man overcoming a lifetime of challenges. he appeared on wheel of fortune and became an instant star overnight. abc shows us why so many people are part of team trent.

>> reporter: maybe if you watched "wheel of fortune" every day since you were two, you'd be as good as trent girone was this week. when he rang, and answered. >> a smashing success. >> yes, sir! >> reporter: and boy did he wait a long time to be right. a 21-year-old who watched his episode play at home this week. he'd been trying to get on the program for years. >> is it bad news? >> what do you think? >> reporter: as soon as he did -- >> why risk another spin. >> reporter: folks saying a smashing success and team trent and trent has had his struggles nine brain surgeries and tourette's syndrome and asperger's which can be a strength when the game takes memory. and pattern recognition. what did he not know before? >> how heavy that wheel is actually. then i had to pick up the wild

card and the mystery wage. those were hard to lift. the bankrupts were stinkers but life goes on. >> reporter: in the end trent came in third. take home prize, yeah, money and more than that. john donvan, abc news, washington. >> we are happy to be team trent and we thank you for watching. always here at abcnews.com, "nightline" later. and i'll see you again tomorrow. good night. may day mars throughout the bay area, live with issues that have people fired up. >> warriors host clippers tonight. how are they dealing with the banishment of the owner. what has it done to the brand? >> new mandatory water

restrictions and efforts in place >> we've had two consecutive days of record high temperatures. i'll show you hottest of the hot spots in just a moment. >> sky 7 hd live tonight over the fruit veil district of oakland. biggest of several may day demonstrations taking place in what has become a may one tradition in the bay area. good evening. >> immigration reform, minimum wage, police violence are issues prompting thousands of people to take to the streets tonight. let's take a look at oakland. you can see there are several hundred people demonstrating here for economic and social justice we have live team coverage for you tonight. abc7 news reporters nick smith and david louie covering the mars for us tonight. nick let's begin with you and democrat strayings taking place at fruit veil bart plaza in oakland. >> this has been a party nonstop

. the rally has been people coming up and expressing concerns you can see a demonstration taking place now the crowd has been huge, filled with demonstrations from across the bay area in celebration of international workers day. they hope to highlight issues beyond fair wages and labor laws. hot topic this year is immigration. ending the deportation of undocumented my -- migrant workers 800 people took to the streets. it's a small part of what the rally is all about. beginning as a way to recognize the international labor movement, organizers say it's transformed into an annual human rights protest they say will touch on issues affecting their community. most of the anger is focused on pr